Given how heavily The Originals initially surrounded Klaus and Marcel’s war for control of New Orleans, it made sense that several central characters were going to get hurt. War tends to leave casualties. However, between the backstories of everyone’s lives and the events that happened in the present day, there were rarely, if ever, characters that did not deal with tremendous tragedy or loss. No character got out unscathed, whether it be an early and untimely death or multiple resurrections. The Mikaelson family was also forced to deal with separation after absorbing the Hollow.
Whether it be the Mikaelson siblings, Hayley Marshall, or the other New Orleans residents, a war was constantly occurring, even if it was no longer over control of the French Quarter. Once a relatively innocent human bartender, Cami ends up in the crossfire when she sparks Klaus and Marcel’s attention, along with her research into what led to her brother committing mass murder. Meanwhile, Marcel was forced to deal with the aftermath of his sire returning to town and declaring war in his wish to reclaim a city he had run from decades before. While no one particularly had it easy in New Orleans, some certainly had it worse at times.
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12 Josh Rosza
Warner Brothers Television Distribution
Compared to plenty of the other characters, Josh is not on the receiving end of too many awful things. He experiences devastating heartbreak after Dahlia kills Aiden and then, years later, dies too soon himself. Still, for the most part, Josh plays the role of a loyal soldier who eventually rises to take a spot of power in the vampire faction of New Orleans.
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11 Cami O’Connell
Cami’s family’s tragic backstory is part of her motivation throughout the first season. However, it is too late to go back once she learns the truth about the supernatural. Cami’s connections to Marcel and Klaus keep her in the loop. However, Cami’s fate does not get genuinely tragic until she transitions into a vampire. Aurora had compelled Cami, ensuring she drank blood and then killed herself to become a vampire. Cami struggled with the transition, going down a darker path before eventually being killed by Lucien’s poison.
10 Vincent Griffith
When Vincent’s body first appears, he is used as a vessel for Finn Mikaelson. After Finn leaves Vincent’s body, Vincent has to work with the siblings of the man who possessed him. Vincent also struggled when he and his wife went down a dark magic rabbit hole, resulting in Vincent dealing with his wife wanting to murder children. Vincent desperately wanted to keep New Orleans safe, but given how much trouble the Mikaelsons were surrounded by or brought to the French Quarter, at times, it seemed it was impossible for Vincent to keep the residents safe.
9 Davina Claire
Marcel had saved Davina from being a sacrificed Harvest Girl. But, sadly, Davina can not escape that fate for long. Although the ritual would resurrect the witches, Davina should not have had to worry about being sacrificed as a teenager. Afterward, she gets stuck in the war between Klaus and Marcel, only made worse by eventually falling for Kol. Finally, Davina dies, returns to life more than once, and leaves the city behind.
8 Hayley Marshall
Hayley went to New Orleans searching for her biological family and ended up with more than anticipated. A one-night stand results in a magical pregnancy, and Hayley’s journey is just beginning. Hayley can not raise Hope immediately after her birth, given the danger, and must face giving Hope to Rebekah to be protected far away from New Orleans. Also, Hayley finds herself falling for Elijah in a star-crossed lover’s dynamic that could never truly manifest. Whether it be due to Hayley’s marriage to Jackson or Elijah’s vow to put his siblings above all, they were never able to find good timing. As a result, Hayley never even got the chance to grow old, sacrificing herself to save Hope.
7 Hope Mikaelson
Before Hope was even born, witches predicted she would be their downfall and wished her dead. Hope missed out on getting to know her father and his siblings as a child. Only after getting to know her father, aunts, and uncles for a short time did they need to be separated again due to the Hollow. Hope was later sent to the Salvatore School to be around other children and give her a chance at a more normal childhood and a chance to make friends. As a teenager, however, things get worse when Hope’s wish to reunite with Klaus inadvertently results in Hayley’s death, and not long later, Klaus sacrifices himself for Hope.
6 Rebekah Mikaelson
All Rebekah wanted was to be human. Knowing she could never have that, Rebekah strove to be happy, falling in love repeatedly, often with the wrong men. Rebekah’s love affair with Marcel seemed doomed from the start, as they believed Klaus would never allow it. As much as Rebekah loved her brother, she wanted to be out from under Klaus’ thumb and have a life of her own.
5 Kol Mikaelson
Considered the black sheep, Kol desperately wanted to be a part of a family he never felt truly wanted him. Never feeling attached to the “Always and Forever” vow, Kol struggled to feel accepted by his siblings. Due to that, while Kol would side with his family when it mattered, he could just as easily betray them. Between The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, Kol dies twice, the second time at the spell work of his brother, Finn.
4 Freya Mikaelson
Having been given away as a young child, given Esther’s deal with Dahlia, Freya spent her life being trained as a witch by Dahlia. Unfortunately, Dahlia was also heavily controlling, not wishing to let Freya truly explore life or reunite with her siblings. Eventually, Freya tried to kill herself, knowing what would happen if Freya gave birth to a child she had conceived. Sadly, the baby died in the attempt, but Freya’s immortality kept her alive. Freya eventually escaped, but given the spell that forced her only to be awake one year every century, she could not get help from her siblings previously. So when Freya finally reunites with Klaus and Elijah, it takes time for Klaus to trust Freya’s intentions.
3 Marcel Gerard
Marcel Gerard was the king of New Orleans. The vampires were his family; the witches were under control, and the werewolves were cursed. While it may not be the kindest method of power, the French Quarter was Marcel’s home, and he had rebuilt the city in his image. The moment Klaus returns, everything Marcel loves turns to dust. When Marcel loses the war to Klaus, it also means giving up control of the one place Marcel had always called home.
However, Marcel stays in the city, refusing to leave the place he loved so much, and hoping to one day regain control. Flashbacks help explain the intricacy of Marcel’s relationship with Klaus, and no matter how much Marcel hates Klaus, he also loves him. Klaus saved Marcel from being a slave, raised him as a son, and taught him how to be a vampire and an influential leader.
2 Elijah Mikaelson
Burdened to hope for his younger brother’s redemption, Elijah desperately wants to see Klaus grow from his mistakes. However, Elijah has plenty of his own to deal with and finally confront. Although Elijah spent a thousand years believing he knew how Tatia died, he later discovers he had been lying to himself and that Elijah was responsible for Tatia’s death. That lie was hidden behind a red door in Elijah’s mind, of memories he had kept tightly behind to be forgotten.
When Elijah chooses to forget his memories and detach his emotions from his family, it also leads to Hayley’s death when Elijah helps those wishing to harm her. When Elijah remembers the truth, he is devastated and horrified to understand what he has done and who he hurt. Determining that with Klaus redeemed and Hayley dead, Elijah has nothing to live for, he chooses to die beside Klaus.
1 Klaus Mikaelson
Hated by his father and with both his parents out to kill him, Klaus had several reasons to become paranoid. Elijah compels Aurora to make Klaus believe he is a monster and to tell him so, and Klaus believed it for a thousand years and was never able to see himself differently. Klaus desperately wanted someone to understand him, but only a few were willing to see the good in him. In the end, it is choosing to die for his daughter that officially completes his redemption. Klaus had thought of his own life and immortality for so long that being willing to die was meant to show how much he had grown.
